Monster Hunter
by Dragavon
Summary: Justin's father told him to always protect his sister from monsters.  But how can he protect Alex when he himself is the monster?
1. Prologue

**(A/N: This is my first attempt so please excuse me if anybody is OOC. Well OOC past the point that drives the story.**

**Also if you are following this story and care about the details, I'm attempting to mirror this story to the episodes. But since the episodes were shown out of order, I'm following the timeline shown here: en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/List_of_Wizards_of_Waverly_Place_episodes. Look at the production code number and you'll see the correct order the episodes should have been show in. For example "First Kiss" is clearly meant to be broadcast after "Pop Me and We Both Go Down" because Miranda is introduced in the latter episode and Justin is dating her in the former.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place. If I did they wouldn't be able to show it on the Disney Channel. HBO maybe.**

**Reviews, as always, are appreciated. Constructive criticism is appreciated even more.**

He's studying The Plan in his head, even though it looks like he's just reading. Because if he doesn't work on The Plan, he'll go back to thinking about her. And it's very important that he not think about her, even though The Plan always concerns her. He's testing every angle of The Plan, examining every facet. The Plan has to work. The Plan has to be foolproof. For her sake. He chuckles mirthlessly. He's going to hurt her. But The Plan will hurt less than the alternative. (_Just because he wants to minimize her pain doesn't make him less of a monster.)_


	2. Chapter 1  The Vow

_To give me all your love  
>Is all I ever asked<br>Cause what you don't understand  
>Is<br>I'd catch a grenade for you  
>Throw my hand on a blade for you<br>I'd jump in front of a train for you  
>You know I'd do anything for you<br>I would go through all this pain  
>Take a bullet straight through my brain<br>Yes, I would die for you, baby_

_"Grenade" - Bruno Mars_

Justin remembers back to a much earlier time. He was young and his magic had come in. Alex was a year younger but she still wasn't aware that magic existed. Their parents hadn't told her yet because they didn't want her bragging to her friends that someday she was going to be a wizard. All she had was Disney stories told to her by their mother. She hoped and believed in it but no one had shown her yet that it was real. (_And all those Disney stories still had a monster that needed to be defeated._)

His father had taken him into the Wizard Lair, because that's how he thought of it in his head, with the capitalization necessary because of its importance. He had such faith in magic at that time. It had the promise to accomplish anything, to change the world. In there his father had asked for a promise that he would always protect his little sister, Alex, from the monsters of the world. He had freely given that promise because that's what heroes do. (_He still thought of himself as a hero at that point. It wasn't until much later on that he realized that he wasn't the hero but instead the monster in that particular fairy tale_)

He doesn't remember, however, when he started becoming obsessed with his sister. When he crossed the line from sibling affection to something darker and more disturbing. Maybe it was the first time he took her on a magic carpet ride and she smiled in that special way that always affected him. Maybe it's when she bought a dragon that looked like a dog for him to make up for the one that she accidently let out of the house. It could have been one of a hundred different events. She was lazy and a liar and a troublemaker but she had a good heart and a unique way of showing her love. Her actions were that of a sister looking for attention from a brother. His responses were not so innocent. What he began to feel for her, what he still feels for her isn't what one feels for a sister. (_That's how he knows he's a monster._)

When she kissed him on the cheek, he wanted to move his face so that the kiss landed on his lips. When she hugged him like a sister, he wanted to wrap her legs around his and embrace her like a lover. When she wanted to rest her head on his shoulder, he wanted to grab a handful of her hair and bury his nose in it. To take her scent particles inside him. The way he wanted to be inside her. (_Only a monster would want to do that to his innocent little sister. To destroy that innocence._)

He has to protect Alex from the monsters, both magical and mortal. He's her brother and that's what brothers do for their little sisters. He also promised his father and he always keeps his promises. (_And if the monster that he has to protect her from is himself, that changed nothing.)_

The Plan starts to develops from that. There's no need to officially name The Plan. It's important enough that it needs to be capitalized, like all the important things in his life are. He has a plan to finish high school, and a plan to go to college, and a plan to get the best grades but there's only one The Plan. It's the plan to protect Alex from Justin. His second favorite author had a saying in his books; "Duty is heavier than a mountain, death is lighter than a feather." He always took that to mean duty is a burden that must be carried until death. The Plan has to come before all other plans, no matter the cost. (_The monster must contained. If he cannot be contained, then he must be destroyed._)


	3. Chapter 2 The Lie

_You're just like an angel_  
><em>Your skin makes me cry<em>  
><em>You float like a feather<em>  
><em>In a beautiful world<em>  
><em>I wish I was special<em>  
><em>You're so fucking special<em>

_But I'm a creep_  
><em>I'm a weirdo<em>  
><em>What the hell am I doing here?<em>  
><em>I don't belong here<em>

_I don't care if it hurts_  
><em>I want to have control<em>  
><em>I want a perfect body<em>  
><em>I want a perfect soul<em>  
><em>I want you to notice when I'm not around<em>  
><em>You're so fucking special<em>  
><em>I wish I was special<em>

_"Creep" - Radiohead_

He tried logic first in The Plan. He's a teenage male with hormones. Obviously it's just a biological oddity that can be corrected when his brain associates sexual attraction to Alex. After all he's never even kissed a girl on the lips. All he has to do is find someone. For a second or two he even considers Alex's best friend Harper. He knows she's has a crush on him. How long that crush has been going on is another one of those things lost in the recesses of time. And he does consider it. Then reality intrudes upon his brain. Harper is a decent, loving though slightly odd person who will someday make someone very happy. He has no right to drag her into his sick situation. (_Monsters are usually solitary._)

Soon afterwards, though it looks like Fate intervenes. And for all he knows she/they could be real. His uncle Kelbo has met Mother Nature. Maybe Fate or The Fates are real and somebody out there is actually looking out for him? He meets Miranda Hampson, a beautiful upperclassman who's not only interested in him, but he's interested in her. For the first time since he can remember, there's a woman he's attracted to other than his sister. He allows himself the smallest glimmer of hope that maybe he can be a normal person after all. He even manages to take her to junior prom despite a talking zit. Not the strangest part of his life, not by far. It's not until after the prom when she's leaning in for a kiss that reality once again gives him a swift kick in the behind in the form of a single solitary thought that shoots through his mind. "Maybe the reason he's attracted to her is because she looks like Alex?" And then it makes sense. Fate wouldn't help him out. Much like his sister, Fate, whether it is she or they, are taking a twisted pleasure in mocking him. Dangling redemption in front of then snatching it away. Like a three card monte player who's hidden the red queen, never to be seen again. He shakes her hand because he's not sure he'll blurt out his sister's name after kissing her. And with Alex within hearing distance. So he does the one thing he knows how to do best. He lies. (_Monsters sometimes hide in plain sight._)

Alex always accuses him of being a bad liar. He would laugh at the irony if it wasn't a knife cutting into his heart. He's actually the greatest liar he knows. He's so good he's managed to convince his sister and the rest of the family that's he's a slightly arrogant, know it all, overachiever who doesn't have perverse feelings for the girl sleeping across the hallway from him. And that lying and lies make him physically ill. Ladies and gentleman, the Oscar award for best performance as not a twisted stalker goes to Justin Russo. He lies with his body and his attitude that this wasn't the complete and utter disaster he feared it would be. The only other woman he's interested in shares a physical similarity to his sister. Could the situation become more screwed up? (_He's a monster and he's going to suffer_)

Perhaps it was better not to ask that question even in the safety of his mind, because Fate heard and decided to further punish him for his twisted desire by ensuring that it's Alex who's trying to ensure that his first kiss goes smoothly. Only there is a zero percent chance of that happening. The one girl in the universe who he should not be in lust with is trying to arrange for him to make out with a person who physically resembles her. That situation unnerves him so much that it takes multiple attempts to kiss Miranda. All which end in disaster. It's only after the last attempt is redone 17 times that he gets a kiss which will determine whether he has a chance at a normal life. Sadly enough the answer turns out to be a resounding "no" because the only thought that goes through his head while his father and his sister watch him while he's attempting intimacy with Miranda is "I wonder what Alex tastes like?" When he gets back to the sandwich shop and once again fools everyone into believing the world is not a dark and twisted place, he find a silver lining in the clouds of his life. Alex has never kissed anyone. That thought shouldn't fill him with a sick sense of glee but it does. It's a dog in the manger situation. Since he can never taste her lips, he doesn't want anyone else to. So when the next day Alex kisses a random guy, once again the rug is yanked out under him. For a blinding second there is so much rage and hatred in his heart that murdering this random guy seems a viable solution. (_You never see the monster coming until it's far too late._)


	4. Chapter 3 The List

_And even when your hope is gone_  
><em>Move along, move along just to make it through<em>

_"Move Along" - The All-American Rejects_

Logic hasn't worked. Next step is to try something else. He contemplates going to a therapist, but then then as always examines the pros and the cons so as to better determine his next course of action. Con: he's not eighteen, so he can't see a therapist without his parents being informed and how's he going to explain this to them? Mom, Dad, I need permission to see a therapist because I'm sexually attracted to your little princess. You know the one that sleeps opposite my bedroom. That'll end well. Con: actually saying out loud to somebody, anybody that he wants to grab his little sister, push her against the wall, tear her clothes off and use her until he's satiated? That's never going to happen. Death before dishonor. Well his death before her dishonor but it still works. (_Monsters know exactly where the line is, before they cross it._)

Suicide is an option. It's not like he really believes in an afterlife because he's been a scientist far longer than he's been a wizard. And if he lives long enough to make it to the Wizard Competition, after he wins, he'll devote the rest of his life to figuring out exactly the basis of magic, and how it functions. Because it has to be logical extension of the universe that has rules and laws that just haven't been discovered yet. Like the Grand Unified Theory. Also why physics is the smaller, stupider brother that does whatever magic wants it to. Kind of like Alex and Max. So despite knowing that angels exist, he still believes in nothing after death. And that gives him a twisted sense of hope. That death will accomplish what he's been unable to on his own. (_The happy ending happens after the monster is dead._)

So he makes a list about various forms of suicide and how each would best be accomplished. And names it The List, because The List is an important part of The Plan. The List takes a while to compile because there are so many ways to die. And if he can make it look like an accident, that would eliminate any guilt on the part of his parents. Because he knows what guilt feels like. And the days when he'd rather be dead than feel guilty are starting to outnumber any other. But guilt is as much part of him as his right arm or the magic that thrums through his veins. And there's a part of him, the scientist, the researcher that's curious about what happens after death.

Hypothesis: The possibility of life after death.

Methodology: Teleport in front of a bus, subway car, train or similar moving vehicle. Teleporting several stories up or over the Marianas Trench would also work.

Conclusion: To be determined. (_Monsters aren't stupid no matter what the stories say._)

He's not stupid. Death is always a final option. The final option. He'll hold off suicide until he's got nothing else left. Maybe magic will provide the solution. It has to make his life easier for once, doesn't it? He hates using magic without permission but sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. He spends the next six weeks looking for a spell every chance he gets. He pours through every spell book in the Lair, sometime even sneaking down in the middle of the night to read. Nobody except his sister comments on his mania because they're used to him wanting to know everything. His parents are generally clueless. He's getting all A's in school and he's not deliberately starting trouble like Alex or accidently starting it like Max. So his parents devote their time and energy into putting out the fires, sometimes literally, that Alex and Max start. Max is strange and oblivious and happy. Sometimes he envies his little brother's limited intelligence. Alex mocks him about reading about magic instead of throwing himself into magic and just casting the spell. He mocks her back instead of shutting her mouth with his. (_Magic can transform monsters, right?_)

There's no spell for this situation. If there ever was one, the wizard who created never wrote it down. Because who wants to write down a spell about how to prevent yourself from stalking a sibling? He can't even go to another wizard. How do you explain you need a spell to not constantly think about your sister? And the hours start to take their toll. He's constantly in front of either a school textbook or a spell book. Because bad grades, after all this time, would gain him the attention of his parents. And the lack of sleep and the constant lies and the having to act normal all chip away at his willpower. He's tired. So damn tired. Tired of pretending to be what he's not. The List calls to him now. It's not all the time. But whenever he's near Alex and has to maintain the facade, or in the middle of the night when all he wants to do is rest but he has to keep going past the point of exhaustion. All he wants to do is lie down and close his eyes. Permanently. (_Monsters never stop. They keep coming at you over and over again until you put them down for good._)


	5. Chapter 4 The Potion

_Clutching my cure_  
><em>I tightly lock the door<em>  
><em>I try to catch my breath again<em>  
><em>I hurt much more<em>  
><em>Than anytime before<em>  
><em>I had no options left again<em>

_"Breaking the Habit" - Linkin Park_

Justin's father, Jerry is a good man. He's not very deep or profound. He frequently says something that gets him into trouble. He's a little tightfisted with money, except when it comes to Alex of course. He loves food a little too much. Sometime better than he loves either of his sons and again Alex is the exception. But despite all of that he's a good man. He adores his wife and puts up with her vanity and her jealousy. He cares deeply for his kids and deals with the trouble that Alex and Max cause with a minimum of complaining. Justin loves and respects his father. But this moment? This very moment? Justin loves his father more than he's ever loved the man. Without ever realizing it, Jerry Russo has given Justin a solution to his biggest problem. Actually, not a solution so much as a stop gap measure. But when you are dangling off the cliff and your rope is frayed down to a single thread, you don't complain about the quality of that thread. (_Even monsters can be grateful_)

Justin's sitting in the Lair, after hearing Alex go on and on about that worthless waste of a human being, Brad. Justin was angry at the guy before when Brad was trying to take Justin's spot at the World School Summit, which Brad hadn't earned. Then he found out Alex was interested in him and the urge to turn him into a piece of bread and feed him to the pigeons was nearly overwhelming. He thinks about that for a second. Wanting to destroy a human being, even one as obnoxious as Brad, because his little sister is interested in said obnoxious clown? It would be bad enough if he simply wanted to protect his sister. But what he wants is for his sister to think about him the way that she thinks about Brad. Justin closes his eyes and lets the shame wash over him for a single moment. (_Monsters hate it when their victims escape._)

But when his dad starts talking about potions and specifically potions that affect your emotion, Justin is overwhelmed with love for his father. Jerry makes both of them drink the anger potion, and Justin can feel the anger overtaking him, but the gratitude and love he feels for the man warps the anger and creates this unique blend that result in him angrily announcing that "he's the best dad in the whole wide world." His father responds with "I love you." And he responds with "I love you more." And he means every word of it. Because his father has just handed him an irreplaceable gift: knowledge. (_He always wondered where monsters came from. It turns out good people can create monsters…_)

After some trouble with Max and his powers coming, he goes to school and has to deal with Brad and his sister's stupid crush on someone who is absolutely beneath her. He knows her better than anybody else in the world. He knows how intelligent she is. How if she wanted to, she could be his equal in every subject despite being a year younger. She just acts lazy and irresponsible and all those other qualities that drive him insane. Behind her facade, Alex is an insecure teenage girl, who desires to be accepted but only by the people she care about. Even Harper doesn't know her as intimately as he does. And again he feels shame because he wants to know Alex far more intimately than she would ever understand. (_…and monsters can have family._)

She comes up with an absurd scheme involving a love potion to make Brad fall in love with her and demands his help. He hesitates a moment. But not because he knows it's a bad idea. It's because part of him wants her to drink the love potion. So that he can drink the other half. The guilt that follows forces him to agree. Her happiness is paramount. Even if it's with a knuckle-dragger like Brad. He consoles himself with the knowledge that the potion is temporary. And that he can always come up with a hate potion later on. (_Monsters can be chained…_)

It's amazing. As always, in the midst of his twisted madness, she finds a way to make him laugh. She's somehow taken both halves of the potion. Every time she complements herself on how attractive she is, he has to restrain himself with agreeing with her, because that will give her a further swelled head. Literally. It also helps that he now he knows exactly what he's looking for. He mentally thanks his father again and begins his research. He already knows the ingredients to the love potion. In one of the books, he finds the both a lust potion and a potion to make someone fall out of love with you. With those three, he extrapolates the requirements for an anti-lust potion. It's not perfect. It will only work until midnight. And he can't take it more than once every twenty-four hours. But he expects it to give him some measure of peace. He mixes a batch and then decides to take a small amount as a test case. Even as he swallows it, he hopes it will be one of two things. Either the exact potion that he's looking for or an untraceable poison that will kill him. At this point, he'd be happy, no not happy, accepting of either one. His research works in his favor and it's the former. When he goes upstairs and looks at his sister, the lust has subsided. It's not gone away but it's far more controllable. He still sees her as something he desires but it's no longer as dark and disturbing as it was hours ago. The urge to drag her to his bed is no longer paramount. He still feels like he would try and seduce her given an ounce of encouragement but for the first time since forever he feels close to human. (_…but the chains must be strong._)

His life is actually bearable. Max somehow helps him win the trip to the World School Summit. Alex no longer feels anything for Brad. And it's far easier to act as if he's a normal human with his sister. There are flaws in this otherwise bright and shiny mirror. He can only sleep 2 hours a night now. And he's aware of the implications of what he's doing. He's self medicating to correct behavioral problems. He's taking an illegal drug to make himself feel better. And the four hours every night between midnight and the time he can fall asleep are waking nightmares where he is something akin to what he was before. But all of that can be tolerated if it makes her safer. Anything can be tolerated for her. He remembers lines from a television show that touched him. About a monster who wanted to be more because he wanted the girl. The lines echo in his head. "Why does a man do what he musn't? For her. To be hers. To be the kind of man who would neve.. To be a kind of man." (_The monster hunter is never the hero. He's never the knight in shining armor who gets to ride off in the sunset with the princess. But he's the one who gets to kill the monster. And sometimes that's enough._)


	6. Chapter 5 The Plan

_There was a time I was so afraid_  
><em>Of everything people around me said<em>  
><em>That I wanted to hide my face in the shadows<em>

_There was a time on a bed of nails_  
><em>I was dreaming a plan I thought could not fail<em>  
><em>But no power under the sun, could pull it together<em>

_"None of the Above" - Duran Duran_

It's strange how different he feels. His other side is still there but now there's longer any threat of it getting out of his control. If he could feel contentment that would probably be the closest approximation to what he's feeling right now. He keeps two things with him at all times, now. One is the flask containing The Potion. He's magically enchanted it so that people don't notice it anymore. Their eyes see it but it only looks a bottle of water or a can of soda or something else that can be consumed. He only needs to and can only drink it once a day. But it's a source of comfort. A tangible reminder that he won't become what he was. That he won't hurt her in any way. The other is a book. He takes it out of his backpack and looks at the title again. "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." It's not his favorite book. Those are still the stories where the main protagonist is a wizard, and a hero and a private investigator. But those are fiction. This is reality. This is a twisted reflection of his own life. Reading specific passages gives him an unsettling feeling in his stomach. But he does it every day anyway. Another tangible reminder, this one instead of the price of failure. (_Monsters cannot be allowed to forget they are monsters. Not even for a moment._)

Life moves on. The school year has almost ended and summer is nearly here. But he can't simply enjoy the summer as if he didn't have a care in the world. He has to keep busy, keep moving. When he's exhausted, the nights are easier to handle, to get through. He can just curl up in a fetal position, huddle underneath the covers and let his loneliness for her seep through him. His other is quieter, less insistent. He's named his other side now; "Serge." He doesn't know why he picked the name, but strangely he's used to it. Serge is a wrong and unnatural thing who still wants to defile Alex, but Justin is capable of using his hate, and loathing for Serge to fuel his desire to be a monster hunter. After all what's a better thing to hunt the monsters than a monster who knows how they think and feel. (_Monsters have feelings too. Just not ones that anybody else wants to share._)

So he continues with The Plan. He's applied to Wiz Tech for summer classes. It's a boarding school so he figures he will be away from her all summer. Part of him revels in the belief that without her in his sight every day, his pain will subside. Part of him howls in despair at being separated from her. And part of him is glad that he'll not be around her with the temptation to cross the line past the point of no return. Again Fate whoever she or they are, are not so willing to forgive or forget his trespasses. His little sister uses magic to clean a mess and almost destroys their house. However, he's the idiot who brings up Wiz Tech in front of them. He wonders if there's a part of him trying to destroy himself, because his parents naturally decide to ship off Alex to Wiz Tech. With him. He wishes he was the type of person who could scream obscenities. Because now seems awfully appropriate for that ability. (_The monster tries to break out of the chains…_)

He survives Wiz Tech. He survives being near his sister. He survives 12-ball which is the most absurd sport that he's ever heard of. And he even survives his sister saving him from the machination of Dr. Evilini. When did this happen? When did his sister start looking out for him? He wonders if he's stepped through the mirror without realizing it. But no, he hasn't gone anywhere because soon Alex needs his help once again. She manages to insert herself into a horror movie and it's up to him to save her. Which makes him feel slightly better. Every time he can save her from herself or just in general, he's in some small way atoning for his thoughts. It's a tally that will never be balanced, a road that he'll never reach the end of. But he has to keep trying. Not because he believes he can be redeemed or even in redemption itself. But because what other choice does he have? (_…but the chains hold. At least for now._)

He decides that it's been enough time since that debacle with Miranda. He needs to try again. If nothing else, it will help maintain the illusion of normalcy. Kari Langsdorf is blonde, simple and good-natured compared to Alex who is brunette, smart and sarcastic. He wants brunette, smart and sarcastic. But he can't have it. So Kari who is the polar opposite of Alex is the best choice. He even uses magic to help him accomplish his goal. Again, it's breaking the rules but it's for a good cause. And again, Fate teaches him the lesson that every time he breaks the rules, it will end badly for him. Maybe Murphy's Law should be renamed Justin's Law. Because Alex has a crush on his teammate. And Kari is so simple that he cannot even tolerate dating her. And everything else that can go wrong will go wrong for him. When did he become the universe's whipping boy? It doesn't matter. He'll make it through this because he has no other options available to him. (_Monsters don't have the choice to not be monsters._)

He has an option available to him. Alex has given him the final important piece of The Plan. They were learning about Jinns or Genies as they are popularly known. And Alex, beautiful Alex, both cunning and foolish at the same time, wished upon one to not be compared to him. Which caused everyone except her to forget about him. If he was any other person, he would be upset. Livid, even. But what she's given him makes him willing to forgive her anything. He still acts upset because that's how Justin Russo would act, but inside he's almost happy because he envisions an end to the long twisted road ahead of him. It's clear now. So then here's The Plan in three easy steps.

1. Rig the Wizard Competition to ensure that Alex wins. Max cannot be allowed to win the Wizard Competition. Justin loves his little brother, but all that power in the hands of someone who, and it breaks his heart to think it, is an idiot? Not an acceptable outcome. Similarly he himself cannot be allowed to win anymore. He's just a monster. Not a human capable of controlling himself. Not an animal that only goes by instinct. A full on monster. And power in his own hands would corrupt him even more that he already is. The only safe recipient is Alex. The thought makes him smile. She'd use her magic for nothing but personal gain. Still better than an idiot or a monster.

2. Use a jinn's wishes to make everyone forget him. If his parents, Max and most importantly Alex don't remember him? Then his disappearance and/or death will not hurt them. How can you feel anything for someone you don't remember. That last thought fills him with emotions. Emotions he believed he was incapable of feeling. There's relief, mixed with contentment, and perhaps a touch of happiness.

3. Find a suitable future. He can't have a normal life with kids. He's intimately familiar with the science of genetics. The reason he's a monster is perhaps because of a faulty gene sequence or a damaged chromosome. He cannot pass on that genetic instability. Not to an innocent child and take the chance that child will grow up to be monster like him. Similarly he cannot even imagine ruining some poor woman's life by marrying her. He has nothing to offer. So from action 3 he has two possible decisions.

3a. He could jump off the roof of the nearest building and end on the sidewalk. And it wouldn't affect the Russo family. Just one more John Doe in a city of such, ending up buried in a Potter's Field. A scenario comes to mind that beckons with it's vividness, beauty and simplicity. _He's standing on the top floor of a the tallest building he can find. Its midnight, and it's cold but he doesn't feel it anymore. He walks out onto a gargoyle that overhangs the building and admires the artificial lights of the city but doesn't look down. He just turns around with his back to the edge. He looks up at the stars in the sky and admires their natural beauty. And it takes such little effort to lean back, past the point of no return. He's falling and it's cold but it's also quiet. The wind rushing past him steals away the noise of the city. All he can see is the stark loveliness of the stars moving away from him. All he can hear is the quiet beauty of silence... _Not a bad way to go. But a waste of his abilities and learning. And he hates wasting things. Not when they can be used.

3b. Continue his studies in magic. Eventually specializing in monster hunting. Even if he's no longer a wizard, there are magical devices that can be used by mortals. He still remembers Alex's training wand before her magic came in. Use a combination of devices to simulate basic wizard powers. It's a risky endeavour. Sooner or later one of the monsters he's hunting will be beyond the capabilities of his magical devices. And that won't end well. Another scenario flashes through his mind. _ He's kneeling in a cold frozen field. He can't stand anymore because of a terrible weakness. There's blood seeping out past his hand as he attempts to hold his own innards in place. The monster has dealt him a mortal wound. His vision is going black and he knows he has a few second left to live. And to stop another monster. He raises his hand and points his weapon. And the two of them leave this world together. _A better plan. With the added advantage of having dispatched a few monsters along the way, and perhaps having saved a few innocents. Go out as something close to a hero as he is capable of being.

(_The monster hunter has purpose. He doesn't have much of a future. He no longer has a past. There is only the present. One more monster to be killed. One more innocent to be saved._)


	7. Chapter 6 The Insanity

_It's a thief in the night to come and grab you_  
><em>It can creep up inside you and consume you<em>  
><em>A disease of the mind, it can control you<em>  
><em>It's too close for comfort<em>

_"Disturbia" - Rihanna_

He often wonders if he's insane. Do insane people know if they are insane? Is someone insane if they think they are insane? At the very least he might be bi-polar. Because there are exactly two states of existence in his life. Alex and non-Alex. When he's with Alex, the world is different. Sharper, clearer, everything matters, everything is important. He can hear every single note when she sings, that indescribable rasp that send shivers down his spine. He can smell every particular piece that goes to make up her fragrance, that mix of soap and perfume that allows him to know when she's near even when he can't see her. He can see each individual color in the locks of her hair, black silk brought to life, with an occasional hue stolen from a rainbow and woven in. It's the same exact feeling he gets when he casts a spell. When the bright, hot fire burns through his veins and reality bends to his will. In his mind Alex and magic are synonymous. So when Professor Crumbs is about to take away her powers permanently, he panics. Max losing his powers would be a positive. Justin himself losing his powers would be an inconvenience (until The Plan is in place.) Alex losing her powers? That would an injustice on the grandest scale. Alex is magic. And if he has to shift the blame onto his own shoulders to save her, that's a burden he would gladly take. He turns Crumbs into a guinea pig long enough to come up with a plausible lie as to why she should keep her powers. And once again he saves her. He'll keep protecting her for as long as he possibly can. Not only from himself, but from anybody else who wants to hurt her. (_The princess never needs to know that the hunter is protecting her from the monster. Why burden her with the ugliness of reality?_)

When he's not with her, is when everything feels like it's being viewed through a dense fog. Colors are black and white. Everything is hazy and dull and inconsequential. Sometimes he wonders at the futility of it all, in the middle of the night when sleep eludes him. He sits at his desk studying, because what else can he do at 2am? Might as well do homework to maintain the illusion of normality. Everybody else is asleep, dreaming their dreams of a better tomorrow. He no longer has those dreams. He only has the option of trudging through every day, waiting for the pieces of The Plan to fall into place. It's during this time that as he slumps in his chair, staring at a half-written essay on his computer or staring at a textbook illuminated only by a desk lamp, that the question of his life intrudes insistently upon his thoughts. Everyone else has an unknown future to look forward to, a hope that the next day will bring them closer to the fulfillment of their aspirations. He has none of that. He no longer has any hopes or dreams or ambitions. When one has nothing to look forward to, how does one make himself keep going? He feels like a car that has run out of gas, and is moving to the finish line on momentum alone. Every day is a struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and sometimes he has the desire to just lie there and bide his time until the day of the Wizard Competition. But he acts as he should because it's all for her. He cannot hurt her in any way. He has to act as normal as possibly can so he goes through the motions to maintain the fiction of his life for her. He wonders about how different he is from everybody else. Not just because of his magical abilities, but because his thought processes are just so alien from the rest of humanity. Everybody else thinks of school, job, love, marriage, children. He thinks of death and loneliness. (_Every single day the hunter has to keep the monster at bay…_)

Every morning as he gets up and brushes his teeth, he tries not to look at himself in the mirror. He hates the person who looks back at him. He often contemplates a spell that would pull a duplicate out of the mirror just so that they could beat the hell out of each other. Wouldn't accomplish anything but it might make him feel better to punish a Justin. He knows he deserves to be punished for what he feels for Alex. He wants to believe that part of him loves her. That some small portion of him would want to be the perfect big brother that will help her achieve her fondest wishes and dreams. Would want her to be happy and to find love and joy. But he knows that he doesn't love her. Because even if they weren't siblings and she was just a girl he knew, if he loved her he would want her to be happy with or without him. If he truly cared, her happiness would matter more than his feelings for her. But he's selfish and weak. He never wants to see her with another man. He hates every single guy she looks at and admires. It's that very fact that causes him to hate the sight of his own face. (_…and every single day the monster tries to get past the hunter._)

It's sad really, almost pathetic. He dates girls not because he feels anything for them, but because when Alex mocks him about them, he can pretend it's because she's jealous. Girls like Millie and Isabella comes in and out of his life and still the highlight of the one date with the latter is that Alex is disappointed that Isabella's cute. Because for a second he can lie to himself and believe that his sister begrudges his affection. The illusion is a fragile one that falls apart like a house of cards in a strong breeze, and the end result is always a feeling of shame that washes over him over the fact that the one person he wants is forever forbidden to him and yet he want her still.

(_The monster knows the ineffectiveness of its actions. Knows that the hunter will sacrifice them both to save the princess. But like the scorpion from the fable of it and the frog, it cannot do anything but follow its nature to its futile, pointless end._)


	8. Chapter 7 The Pain

_Took a ride to the end of the line_  
><em>Where no one ever goes.<em>  
><em>Ended up on a broken train with nobody I know.<em>  
><em>But the pain and the longing's the same<em>  
><em>Where the dying.<em>  
><em>Now I'm lost and I'm screaming for help.<em>  
><em>"Relax(Take it Easy)" – Mika<em>

He stares straight ahead, at the judge sitting on the bench. He wishes it was anybody but Professor Crumbs sitting in judgment , looking down at him with anger but it was yet another fact of his life that he could not change. He imagines that if there was a God, he looks like Professor Crumbs with his long white beard.

Justin doesn't need to look back at his family seated behind him because he'd already memorized the expressions on their face. The look of incomprehension on Max's face as he struggles to understand exactly what was going on. The mixture of horror and despair on his mother's face as she tries to figure out where it all when wrong. The rage on his father's face as he cradles and tries to protect Alex from Justin. But it would be the look on her face which would haunt him forever. The look of revulsion that he wished had killed him on the spot. No matter, this would end the problem once and all.

The voice of Crumbs thunders down at him. "Justin Russo, do you have anything to say in your defense regarding the charges against you?" Devoid of any pity or understanding, the voice, like a wave breaking against a cliff wall, never touches the wall of regret and self-loathing that holds him stiff as a board. There was no point in saying anything. What could he say that would make his family hate him less?

Again the voice thunders. "No? In that case judgment is passed. For the crime of assault against your sister Alex Russo, you are sentenced to die. May God have mercy on your soul." He ponders the last statement. If there was a God, would he forgive Justin? Probably not because mercy was for those who deserved it while Justin deserved none.

"The sentence is to be carried out forthwith." Crumbs points his wand at Justin and the tip glowed a cherry red with smoke emanating from it as it heats the air. In the last moments of his life, Justin turns to take one last look at his family, but it was already too late. They had all turned away from him and huddled around her. He hears the words "It's alright, Alex. He won't ever hurt you again" coming from his father and knew that in their hearts he was already dead. So be it.

He turns around again to face the weapon of his execution. He stares straight at it, making sure not to look at the eyes of the person holding it. There is no need to see the condemnation from Crumbs. Time seems to slow to a crawl as a bolt of fire erupts from the wand and rolls towards him. It seems an eternity before the column of flame reaches his chest, and then time seemed to speed up instantly. The pain seemed to erupt from every nerve at the same time. He was on fire and if he could have screamed he would have…

* * *

><p>He awakes with a start. It takes a second for his brain to disengage from the nightmare before he comprehends where he is. He's sitting on stool at the table in their Lair. When he looks at the clock, he realizes it was one-forty in the morning. He gingerly touched his chest, as if to confirm that it was not on fire. That dream had been so vivid that he can almost feel the heat of the fire as it engulfed him. He looks down at the table. The Potion was ready, so he must have fallen asleep while waiting for it to finish brewing. As he gathers up the Potion and and prepares to head upstairs, his eyes fall upon a mirror. He looks at the face looking back at him for a second before he turns away in disgust. (<em>Even monsters cannot stand the sight of themselves.<em>)

The lure is too much for him tonight. He literally can't help himself. He gently opens the door to his sister's room and looks inside. He knows it's creepy. If anybody else saw him, he would have no answer as to why he's spying on his sleeping sister. Maybe part of him wants to be caught so it will finally be over? She sleeps like a character from a fairy tale. Exhausted from all the fun she had when she was out with that delinquent Moriarty. Except who is he to judge. He's worse than that fool. She looks like Sleeping Beauty waiting for a kiss from her fair prince to wake her up to true love and happiness. Of its own accord, his left hand reaches out to touch those lips. He wants to rub his thumb over her delicious mouth, to feel the lips that he can never have. He stops himself before he can make contact. If she's Sleeping Beauty or Snow White waiting for the kiss of love, he's Quasimodo or The Beast. Except it's his soul that's ugly and twisted, not his looks. She's not for him. There is nobody for him. He's alone and he will never find true love. (_There is no love in a monster's heart, only hate._)

He walks into his room, and closes the door. A simple spell ensures that the room is soundproofed, because what he wants more than anything in the world right now is to pick his chair and use to smash everything in his room. He wants to break every single trophy, piece of furniture and knickknack until there is nothing recognizable left. He wants to howl like an animal while he expresses his rage. He wants to destroy everything around him until it resembles the broken pieces of his soul. But he does none of that. What would be the point, especially when he would have to repair every single thing because Alex will stop by sooner or later in his room to steal something she thinks is of value to him. He cannot destroy everything but there is something he can do. He pulls his wand out of his pocket and concentrates. His wand's tip starts glowing as red as Crumb's wand had in the dream. He slowly and gently brings the tip over to his left hand. The hand that wanted to touch Alex intimately. As soon as the burning wand touches his skin, the sensation of pain spikes through him. Ignoring it as much as he could, he clenches his teeth in silent agony and traces the wand along his hand, crossing the palm in a five-pointed star. The smell of burning flesh reaches his nose, and his stomach roils in disgust. He contemplated his burned hand for a moment, as waves of agony roll through it. He feels the tears gather in his eyes from the pain but blinks them away. He takes a deep breath, focuses his will again and once more the tip of his wand burns. And once more he traces the unburned area of his hand. As each wave of pain surges through his body, he brings up the memory of Alex's face in the dream. This was simple Pavlovian reinforcement, ensuring that his mind associated Alex's pain to his. To ensure that he would never hurt her. He does it again and again and again…

When he comes to his senses, he realizes that he's lying on the floor of his bedroom and there is nothing but pain coming from the nerves in his hand. At some point the pain must have overwhelmed him and he must have collapsed. He looks at his ruined hand. It's black and burned and it feels like his nerves have been replaced by howling agony. He picks up his wand from where it has fallen on the floor. It takes a few minutes before he can gather his will to concentrate on the spell he wants as the pain screaming in his hand threatens to break his will, but he perseveres and the tip of his wand starts glowing white. He duplicates the path he had taken before and this time the burns seem to slough off as healthy new skin is grown in the area he had previously marked. Soon there is nothing on his hand to indicate that it was ever damaged in any way. Even the pain is long gone. Unfortunately the body doesn't remember pain but fortunately his mind does. Maybe this will teach him the lesson he so richly deserves. (_There is nothing but duty left in the hunter's heart. Any hope, any dreams have all died. He wishes there was enough humanity left to even mourn those but even that is gone._)


	9. Chapter 8 The Moment

_This is what I brought you this you can keep,_  
><em>This is what I brought you may forget me.<em>  
><em>I promise to depart just promise one thing,<em>  
><em>Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep.<em>

_"Prelude 12/21" - AFI_

He watches them even though he doesn't want to. The tableau is too painful to bear but at the same time he can't look away. The English manor is filled with light and music. Everywhere people are dancing or drinking or generally having a good time. But they don't matter to him. Only she matters to him. Mason has Alex in his arms and as he twirls her around the dance floor, he smiles and whispers something in her ears. Justin can barely make out her expression through the paned glass but it doesn't look displeased or unhappy. The snow falls around him and he should be shivering from it but he feels colder inside than outside. He looks down and realizes that he's bleeding. He doesn't know from where but it's covered his entire shirt. He reaches down and touches himself. The pressure causes pain around the region of his heart. He has a chest wound and he's dying and yet it's still less painful than the sight of her in Mason's arms. He's so unsteady that he's not sure if he can stand anymore. He reaches out to touch her but all he manages to do is leave a bloody hand print on the glass. Mason catches sight of him, and there's triumph in his eyes.

Mason mouths the words "I've won" and everything goes black.

* * *

><p>Justin wakes up to find it's another damn nightmare. He's had them for so long that he should be used to them but every time he wakes up covered in sweat, he shudders as if it's the first one. He knows it was a dream that it wasn't real but it doesn't make a difference. He's not going to allow Mason to win. Even more important he'll protect Alex from her own bad judgment. She's had a history of choosing scumbags but Mason is over the top. Especially after the events of the Wizard Tournament. He heard every single thing Mason said to Alex. The fact that she was still with him was unacceptable.<p>

He gets up from his bed and quietly goes down into the living room. It's before dawn so everyone else is asleep. It feels like he's the only person in the world. He smiles at that thought. Something he will have to get used to. He makes his way into the Lair. Technically it's Alex's Lair now since she's the family Wizard but he knows her. She won't have any appreciation for all the items in there. More importantly she won't have any use. She's better at dealing with things on the fly. And half the items in there are useless unless used for preparation beforehand. He quickly grabs the ingredients that he needs for three spells. Three spells and it's all over. Three spells and The Plan is done.

He takes what he needs and goes back up to his bedroom. He looks around sadly. It's all gone. He's either sold or given away any item that could be identified as belonging to Justin Russo or that had a personal connection with him. All his trophies, action figures, electronics, literally everything of value. The room is bland and empty of all character. When the spell is done, his family will look in and imagine that's it a guest bedroom.

He puts together the ingredients for the first two spells. Two spells to cast on Mason. When Justin dies the spells will wear off on their own but hopefully with a spell lock on them, they will last long enough past his death to serve their purpose. One of these spells is for his own sake, for revenge against all the sins Mason committed against him. He's not using just a "Make-Em-Up." This will be Ritual Magic to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the spell. He crushed the ingredients he needs together in a bowl, mixed with the bits that he took from Mason's art supplies. He throws in a drawing of Alex that Mason did and forces his will into it. He can feel the spell come to life, and he adds a spell lock. A shark's grin shows up on his face. From now on Mason will be obsessed with his own artwork. Sexually. The thought of Mason pulling down his pants and trying to have sex with his paintings while they are on exhibit amuses him to no end. That's for hurting Juliet and attacking him.

The second spell is even crueler. Justin doesn't want to physically hurt Mason. He's not he kind of person who would hurt another being except in self defense. But he figures humiliation is within acceptable parameters. A lock of Mason's hair, ground together with a laxative pill and some medication for incontinence. Again he puts his will into the ingredients. As soon as the spell is done, he locks this one too. Now Mason won't be able to come near Alex without humiliating himself. As soon as he engages her with his senses, which means as soon as he smells her or sees her or hears her voice, he will lose control of both his bowels and bladder. He imagines Mason soiling himself every time he goes near Alex and it makes Justin laugh. Perhaps that will keep Mason away from Alex long enough for her to come to her senses and realize what a utter selfish bastard the mangy mutt truly is.

Now comes the difficult part. He picks up the bowl, a knife, grabs his bathrobe and towel and heads into the bathroom. After filling the tub with water, he undresses and climbs in. He carefully picks up the knife and puts it to his left wrist. If anybody were to walk in this very moment, it would look like he's about to commit suicide. He isn't, not yet. That comes later. He very carefully takes the knife and puts it to his wrist and makes a shallow cut. He's so used to the pain, that it doesn't even bother him. For a second the thought of making it deeper flashes through his mind. He could end it right here, right now. But it would be selfish. He couldn't leave his corpse behind for a family member to find. That would be thoughtless. He's always been a neat person. If he was going to kill himself, he would be far more efficient about it, ensuring that no body had to clean up after him. That would only be the right thing to do.

He lets the blood drain into the bowl. Just a sufficient amount for the spell. Then he quietly casts a healing spell to close the wound. He quickly takes soaps himself clean, and then drains the tub. Walking back to his room, he draws a quick circle, puts the bowl in the center and forces his will for the third time in the day. It takes almost all he has to complete the spell, but he feels it the spell spreading out from the focal point of the bowl. He quickly gets dressed and then teleports all the remaining clothes in the cupboard to Goodwill. He won't need them where he's going. He quietly teleports himself out of the house into the park and sits down to watch the sun rise.

* * *

><p>It has to work. It has to work. It has to work. He keeps repeating the thought in his head like a mantra. Now he just needs the the courage to test whether it was successful. He stands outside the entrance to the Waverly Sub Shop so long people are giving him weird looks. To make matters worse, both the people leaving the restaurant as well as the ones entering push past him, irritatedly. Like an immovable object, he's blocking one of the doors but he doesn't care. This is the final test and he needs this to go right. He finally builds enough courage to quell the butterflies in his stomach. They are still there, a constant reminder but he forces himself to ignore the sensations.<p>

After taking a deep breath, he steps into the shop, and stops. There's a little bit of a rush and it looks like none of the seats are open. The first indication that everything has gone right is there is no one calling out his name. He can see Alex and Harper both serving the tables. Max is still cleaning up but no one calls out his name or asks him for anything.

His father, Jerry, walks towards him and states "It'll just be a moment until we get a table for you."

There's no recognition in his eyes. That means it's worked. The thought should fill him with joy. But instead there's nothing there but pain and sorrow. His own father has forgotten him. Nineteen years or his upbringing are lost. Nineteen years of shared memories are gone. The recollections live on only in his mind. All the football and baseball games they watched together. All the fatherly advice given that was both helpful and not so helpful. All the jokes and hugs and the love, all of it gone. Never to return. He wants to cry. He wants to break down and give in to his anguish. Yet none of this shows on his face. The mask has been there too long. It's become what he shown to the world for so long that it's part of him now. He simply nods as if it's the most ordinary thing in the world.

His mother shows him to a table. There's no acknowledgement in her eyes, either. He who was at one point her little baby, her firstborn is a complete stranger to her. Against his will more memories flash through his mind. All the times she took care of him when he was sick. All the meals she prepared with love for her family. The birthday and Mother's Day cards and gifts he made that she raved over even when they weren't good because he had taken the time and effort to make them personally. In that moment, he wants her to hold him. He wants her to say "Mijo" one more time as she attempts to fix his problems. He wants to fall into his mother's arms as she tells him that it will all be okay. That his world isn't over. But sadly it's too late for that. Far, far too late. He simply smiles and asks if she could give him a minute and then he will make his decision about his sandwich. Such an ordinary remark, nothing to tip Theresa off to the turmoil destroying his life. Inside his world is dying. But on the outside it's business as usual.

Max and Harper pass him by without a second glance. All the weird comments the two of them made seem so important now. He wishes he could hear another stupid or inappropriate comment one last time. One last thing to chuckle over as he tries to figure out their thought processes.

He studies the menu even though he's already memorized every single item on it. His hands tremble with the effort of maintaining the façade. He feels somebody approach the table and he readies himself for one last conversation with his mother. But when he looks up, he can't help but stare. It's not his mother, but Alex. He's tongue-tied. He's waited for this moment for the longest time and now he doesn't know what to do. He just continues to stare.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer" is the acerbic comment that falls from her lips. It startles him out of his fugue. "What to do want?"

To her it's a prosaic request, urging him to pick something from the menu. For him however, it's a monumental question. A dying man's last wish. A condemned man's last request. One last lifeline thrown to the man who's gone overboard.

He simply replies with "Turkey on wheat. And a lemonade."

He looks away from the coffee-colored eyes that he could drown in and pretends to study the menu again. There's nothing in her eyes there either. No shared remembrances of magic gone awry, no trouble gotten into, no trouble gotten out of. A lifetime spent together, fighting and laughing and snarking. All of it departed to parts unknown. This is what hurts him the most. More than Harper or Max or his father or his mother not knowing him, this is the cruelest cut of all. His chest hurts. He feels short of breath. It feels like he's dying.

She walks away to get his order. He feels like his soul leaves with her. He's empty now. There's nothing inside him except a void. Perfect calmness and perfect stillness because everything that he is or was or will be is gone. Erased as if it never happened. She comes back with his order and now he no longer feels anything. He eats his food mechanically. Bite, swallow, pause, bite, swallow, sip, pause. It's an artificial rhythm that he maintains even though he cannot taste anything he eats or drinks. He's literally going through the motions. He finishes his sandwich and leaves every dollar in his pocket to pay for the bill and for her tip. He knows he's essentially given her a hundred dollar tip on a ten dollar meal but he doesn't care. She always thought his money was her money and now it's finally true. He wants to turn around and take one last look. One last look at the family that loved and protected him for all his life. One last look at the girl who he would have given his life for. For somebody he loves both as a sister and as a woman. But he's afraid if he turns back he'll never want to leave.

He stumbles out of the Sub Shop and pauses in the street. It's a beautiful day with the bright sun shining down and nothing warmth in the air. It feels wrong. A part of him feels that it should be raining with thunder crashing in the background. Something to counterpoint the emptiness in his core. But it's an errant thought barely worth following.

He ducks into a nearby alley and pauses. He looks around carefully. Nobody is nearby; nobody is paying attention to him. He pulls out his wand and waves it in front of him. There's an official scroll from the Wizard's Council. A problem in Romania. A clan of werewolves has gone on the rampage. It's dangerous. The council recommends at least two or more experienced wizards to deal with this crisis. One inexperienced wizard like himself would almost certainly die in this situation. Perfect. He leaves a message saying that he'll handle the predicament. He does a quick search. A dozen more incidents that need multiple experienced wizards. If the Romanian werewolves don't kill him, he'll work his way down the list. One of those has to end his life. He readies his wand. One movement and he'll teleport directly into the middle of the trouble. A feral grin graces his face without him even being aware of it. He'll die so others may live. A perfectly balanced equation. A fitting end to his existence. He waves his wand and disappears from the alley.


	10. Epilogue: The End

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold_  
><em>Who knows how to love you without being told<em>  
><em>Somebody tell me why I'm on my own<em>  
><em>If there's a soulmate for everyone<em>

_"Soulmate" - Natasha Bedingfield_

She stares at him while he looks at the menu. There's something about his face which is so fascinating. She can't tell if it's his nose or his cheekbones or his chin but whatever it is she could spend a lifetime looking at it. She stares at his lips. She contemplates sitting down in his lap and kissing him, just to see what he would taste like. She's never considered doing that to a complete stranger. All the warnings and rules that her parents state tell her she shouldn't. But she's never given a damn about rules or laws. Even so, making out with a complete and utter stranger is not something she would do. This one makes her itch to do that. Would he object or would he join her? She's about to do so when he looks up and makes eye contact. She loses her breath in an instant. She can't tell what his eye color is. It's a mixture of grey and green and something else but whatever it is, it's suddenly her favorite color in the world. Her werewolf boyfriend is immediately forgotten. She can't even remember his name. In her mind, she's already broken up with him and she'll be sure to let him know when she has a spare second. She wants to spend the rest of her life getting lost in the eyes of the stranger in front of her. She says none of that. The feelings inside her are so strong that they shock her.

Her reaction to them is to retreat into sarcasm and say "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Damn it. She doesn't want to drive him off. She concentrates and tries again. This time she'll ask him for his number and where they can have their first date.

What comes out is "What to do want?"

She hopes that his response will be "Somewhere private so we can make out." She'll settle for "What's your phone number?"

What she gets is an order for a sandwich and a drink. Okay, so it'll take some effort into getting him to ask her out. She can work with that. She's always gotten what she wanted. He's no different. She rushes into the kitchen so that she can make his sandwich herself. It seems silly but it has to be absolutely perfect. She'll hand squeeze the lemonade. And when she goes to pick up his check and he says how amazing it all was, she'll casually mention that she made both. And that will lead to him making out with her. Or at least a chance for one of them to ask for the other's number.

She brings him the sandwich and drink and then retreats back into the kitchen so that she can watch him. Both her father and Harper try to interrupt her, but she tells them to go away and her tone makes it quite clear that if they disturb her again, there will be consequences. She can't help but stare at his perfect face while he makes his way through the meal. He's so cute and so adorkable. She knows this about him. She knows so much about that it's like she's met him before. It doesn't matter that she doesn't remember meeting him before today. She knows everything she needs to know. He's finished the sandwich and she's about to take his check over to him, the one with her phone number when her mother steps in front of her and demands her attention. It takes a minute to make her mother go away, and by that time, he's gone for the table. She steps out of the kitchen, heading directly for the table, ignoring some of the other customers' demands. When she gets to the table, there's nothing there but a couple of fifties and a ten and the remains of his meal. Ignoring that, she looks around to see if he's still there but he's nowhere in sight. She quickly rushes out of the door to see if she can still spot him but he's not there in the sparsely populated street. She feels hollow as she turns around and walks back into the Sub Shop.

(**A/N - This fic is dedicated to smithsbabe65. I hope you find your Justin.**)


End file.
